The present: The Rockies lost 7-2 to the Diamondbacks at Coors Field on Saturday night with fill-in starter Collin McHugh getting pounded for six runs and 11 hits in five innings. The biggest blow was a three-run homer to center field by Arizona's Matt Davidson in the third inning.

The future: Charlie Blackmon appears to be carving out a place for himself on the Rockies' 2014 roster. The versatile outfielder is having a September to remember and he's sending a message to the Rockies' front office.

With Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler slowed by injuries Blackmon is thriving. He started in right field Saturday and batted leadoff in the lineup for the sixth time in the past 10 games. He responded with a double in the first inning and singles in the third and sixth raising his batting average to .306. He extended his hitting streak to seven games and five times during that stretch he has had at least two hits."If you play well hopefully there is a place for you somewhere" the softspoken Blackmon said. "But I don't look into the future I just look at what I can do today. That's the only way I can approach things."

Blackmon isn't a prototypical leadoff hitter because he doesn't walk much (only five walks in 219 at-bats) and his .330 on-base percentage needs work. But he has good speed — and he has impressed Rockies manager Walt Weiss.

"I think the bottom line is that he is stringing together a lot of good at-bats and he has a nice plan at the plate" Weiss said. "Charlie's been a real bright spot for our club."

Weiss said he isn't quite sure where Blackmon fits in the lineup but added "Speed has always been one of his best tools and that's showing up again."